Blog by Lydia Zigomo, UNFPA Regional Director - For over 30 years, I have traveled extensively across the diverse landscapes of East and Southern Africa, the region closest to my heart, and experiencing the stunning cultures, varied economies, and breathtaking geography of the region, and meeting our young people brimming with potential. 

Imagine being a midwife in a remote, fragile context, like the Afar region in Ethiopia. This hot low-land and desert-like area has been affected by conflict, driving up the headcount poverty rate to 30 per cent. This has worsened food insecurity for Afar’s population, who mostly make a living as livestock farmers and are often dependent on government support.

Right now, around the world, millions of lives are in the hands of midwives. Whether they are wading through flood waters to reach pregnant women or delivering babies amid the rubble of an earthquake, midwives are the unsung heroes of community health services. Thanks to midwives, births are safer. The sexual and reproductive health care they provide is more attuned to women’s needs.